Banksy Won't Be Allowed To Accept An Oscar In Costume

Given the strength of this year's nominees in the Best Documentary category it's entirely possible that this story won't matter in the long run, but it's still intriguing to think about. I am, of course, referring to the possibility of Banksy, the reclusive, secretive, prankish street artist, winning an Academy Award for his film Exit Through The Gift Shop. Because Banksy has never shown his face in public, it's unclear exactly how he plans to get his award, as the Academy won't even know if they are giving it to the right person. One thing is for certain, though: Banksy won't be showing up on stage in costume.

EW has learned that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has laid down the law and said that Banksy will not be allowed to come on stage wearing a mask to pick up his prize should he win. Banksy representatives approached the Academy in recent weeks to ask about the possibility of the artist taking the stage wearing a disguise, but they flat out refused. Said Executive Director Bruce Davis, "The fun but disquieting scenario is that if the film wins and five guys in monkey masks come to the stage all saying, ‘I’m Banksy,’ who the hell do we give it to?"

As much as I loved Exit Through The Gift Shop (it held a place in my top five of last year), I almost want the movie to win more because of the spectacle it will cause as nobody will know what to do. Guess we'll just have to wait until February 27 to find out.